


The Crime of Healing Magic

by SummerRoses0612



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: ???? - Freeform, Accusations, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur isn't an Emotionally Stunted Asshole, BAMF Merlin (Merlin), Because Lancelot should be a main character, Bisexual Lancelot, Bisexual Merlin (Merlin), DO NOT COPY, Dead Morgana, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, False Accusations, Fighting, Gentle Giant Percival, Gwaine Being Gwaine (Merlin), Gwaine Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Hurt Lancelot (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Lancelot (Merlin) Lives, Lancelot dies, Lancelot speaks old religion, M/M, Magic, Magic Reveal, Major Character Injury, Merlin Kind Of Loses It, Merlin has scars, Merlin is a Little Shit, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Oblivious Arthur, Protective Arthur, Protective Gwaine (Merlin), Protective Lancelot (Merlin), Protective Merlin, Scars, Serious Allegations, Serious Injuries, Serious Merlin, So I'm making it one, Threats, almost, do not copy to another site, emotional outburst, kind of, magical healing, so should that, that should be a tag, understanding arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:48:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28123359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerRoses0612/pseuds/SummerRoses0612
Summary: Fighting bandits is nothing new, but what happens when one of them gets a lucky shot almost ending Lancelot's life?OrThe one where Merlin and Lancelot are together and Merlin kind of loses it when he almost dies resulting in a magic reveal.
Relationships: Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin), background Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 158





	1. Devastation Doesn't Say Enough

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Merlin or any of the affiliated things.  
> Warning- This story contains: Graphic description of getting stabbed, Emotional pain, Reveals, and Serious allegations. 
> 
> If any of this is triggering for you, you've been suitably warned.

The bandits hadn't come out of nowhere, no matter what Arthur says. Merlin had said that he felt something bad, his magic warning him, and as normal Arthur ignored him and teased him. The king quickly pulled out his sword and pushed Merlin into the treeline around the clearing that the bandits had chosen to ambush them in, giving him a stern look before getting ready for battle. The other knights that were on the patrol; Gwaine, Lancelot, Leon, Percival, and Elyan just made a circle with Arthur as they got ready to fight. Lancelot gave Merlin a reassuring smile before they got to business, the bandits seemingly endless and the ever piling bodies on the ground only growing. Nobody had been seriously injured but, it wasn't long before that changed.

Merlin had just been hiding behind trees and magically throwing rocks at the bandits when he felt it; the familiar burn of a sword going straight through him from the front. The caveat was, after double checking to be sure, he wasn't the one that was stabbed. In his panicked thoughts it took him a minute to make the connection but, once he did nothing could have stopped him. 

Everything went in seemingly slow motion. Merlin looked over and saw Lancelot make eye contact as he brought his hands down to hold the sword in pace, everything still as he slowly gained an apologetic light in his eyes and paled. He was visibly seconds away from passing away and, as nobody had even noticed yet Merlin did the only things that he could.

"NO!" The anguished man screamed, unconsciously pulling on his dragon speak as his very soul ached with the thought of losing their bonded, the love of their life. His voice was loud and primal.

His yell gathered everyone's attention and, without even noticing anyone except Lancelot his shoved his hands out. His eyes went blinding gold and every bandit instantly got put into a magical coma. Before anyone could so much as breathe Merlin disappeared. They looked to Lancelot and found him pretty easily, having teleported to the dying man's side to catch him as he fell.

"No no no no no." Merlin mumbled, not stopping for breath as he fought against the chainmail to look at the wound. 

The king and his knights were frozen, finally gathering their wits. They stayed in place though, swords still at their sides as they watched the scene in front of them play out.

"Merlin." Lancelot started, grabbing the warlock's face with one hand and putting his other over the man's mouth. 

Anyone with half a brain cell could read the desperation and absolute devastation in the way Merlin's body shook and the steady stream of tears. 

" _Calm, my love._ " Lancelot said calmly in the Old Religion, making sure he had Merlin's attention before continuing. " _We need to get back to Camelot and to Gaius, I'll be alright_ " 

" _No._ " The distraught warlock repeated, determination filling his features as he moved his hands over Lancelot's on the wound and started chanting. "Behealdnes him of hêhêrof slîðan, âgýman mîn lofian wið folde heonu drýcræft on æðele. We ârweorðnes frum−gâr into h¯ælð. Blîðian lêc mîn lofian."

Over and over and over, tears in his eyes but his speaking never wavering, the gold from his hands and his eyes growing as he keeps going. Lancelot groaned as Merlin grabbed the sword's handle and started to pull it out as the spell healed him. Never once unsteady despite the shaking in his hands and the ever growing trail of tears. Finally the light stopped, revealing a healed Lancelot, a hysterical Merlin, and knights just putting down the hands they put up against the blazing light. 

The knights were about to bring their swords up again but, taking one look at the way Merlin was hysterically laughing and crying in equal measure into Lancelot's chest while the man just stroked his hair, gave them pause. 

"I'm alright, I'm okay. You healed me, I'm going to be ok, everything is okay beloved." The newly healed man cooed to the agitated man until he finally calmed down. 

When Merlin came back to himself he felt the reassuring pets to his hair and Lancelot's voice in his ear and calmed down. He was in his husband's lap with his face hiding in the crook of his neck. Feeling nothing but a desperate need to be sure he was ok Merlin just surged up and kissed the man. 

"I thought you were gone, I felt you get stabbed and I just... And you were.... And then you fell..... The bandits!" The magician cried to the knight in between kisses, just getting soothing sweeps of the knight's hand up and down his back and into his hair.

The kiss was desperate to start with, Merlin pouring everything that he had been feeling into it and Lancelot just gentling him until he finally just lay pliant in the man's arms. The dominate knight just slowly ended their kisses, reassurance and praise in every line of his body. Just as the tired warlock was just about ready to fall asleep they heard a throat clear.

Merlin flinched hard, barely managing not to butt heads with Lancelot as he instantly reacted by getting up, pulling his knight with him, and putting his hand up and the knight grabbing his sword. 

Arthur flinched at the hand, having made fun of Merlin for it whenever someone startled him and finally seeing it for what it was. 

"I think you have some explaining to do." The king commented needlessly, all the knights sheathing their swords when their king did. 

Arthur just crossed his arms and looked at the emotional pair with a raised eyebrow, one that he probably stole from Gaius. 

"Uh..." Merlin started, hand coming out of the defensive position to scratch his head and Lancelot just putting a possessive hand around his waist and squeezing. 

Arthur was right, they did have a lot of explaining to do but, Merlin was confident that he would understand eventually. With a heavy heart he took a deep breath.

"I think that we should get away from here and set up camp somewhere else, in case more are coming." The warlock said, not as a way to get out of explaining but because it was a serious concern. 

"He's right, princess. We can talk later tonight." Gwaine added with his usual level of humor, Percival nodding in agreement.

They were both recovering faster than most of the other knights because, with not living in Camelot the majority of their lives they had seen many different things. They both had seen magic used for good and they both wanted answers just as much as the next guy but, they weren't safe.

Merlin knew that getting to safety wasn't going to do anything but bring questions but, he was ready. With Lancelot at his side and the knights and their king at his back the warlock started walking to the camp and everyone packed in silence. As they started the ride back the way that they came everyone was eerily quiet and lost in thought. 

Merlin knew with Lancelot at his side he would live through the confrontation and that was the only thing that kept him from falling apart. Arthur and some of the best friends he's ever had would know everything by morning and, strangely, he was ok with it. 

* * *

_Sorry, it wasn't letting me save as a draft but this is the first chapter complete. I can add more to it if anyone would like to see this story continued but it can also be done here as a more open ended thing. Kudos, comments, and prompts are always welcome. -Rose_


	2. When the Pieces Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and the knights have a choice to make, either way it has to be something that they can live with in the morning. What will they decide?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Merlin or anything associated with the show.
> 
> Warning- This contains: Questions of trust, betrayal, intense discussions, discussion of death by fire, discussion of treason. 
> 
> If any of this bothers you please don't read this story.

Even with Merlin's intimate relationship with time, it had never gone slower or at the same time faster than the ride to the new campsite did. Merlin was surprisingly ok, the emotional rollercoaster of almost losing Lancelot then being outed to the knights and their king going better than he had dared to imagine.

The warlock was lost in thought from his place riding next to Lancelot; dread, resignation, and relief swirling through him in waves. 

Dread because, no matter that it was always going to happen eventually it was out of his hands now but, relief for the same reasons. It was out of his hands. Whatever happened he knew at worse he would be able to get away and bring Lancelot with him and at best nothing would change.

When they got to the new campsite Merlin silently went about his duties, setting up and watering the horses, refilling the waterskins, getting up a fire. When he was about to reach for the flint was when Arthur finally spoke up.

"Do it with your magic." He said, no inflection in his voice to tell Merlin what he was thinking. 

The knights, who had been sitting around the fire pit on the logs the warlock had dragged over visibly paused. Merlin, without even turning to look at the knights at his back just took a deep breath and put down the flint.

"Forbearnan" The damning word was comfortable in the servant's mouth, a flick of his finger accompanying it.

Seconds later a fully fledged fire came into existence. Merlin didn't react to the warm feeling of his eyes going gold, or the gentle, comforting squeeze his magic gave him before it retreated, just got up and sat on the opposite side of the fire leaning against Lancelot. 

"When did you guys get together?" Gwaine asked with a salacious wink and eating an apple.

It made Merlin laugh, a delighted, joyful sound that nobody was expecting. It was just so.... Gwaine, from the mysterious appearance of the ever present apple to ignoring the glaring elephant in the room and instantly start bantering with anyone in the vicinity that would allow it. Chuckling Merlin just grabbed Lancelot's hand and started at him, a conversation happening without any words whatsoever. 

"I met Lancelot for the first time right after he had killed the griffin,-" The warlock started with a smile only to get cut off by his bonded.

"You helped." The surprise on the knight's faces might have been funny in any other situation but, after a smile in thanks to Lancelot, Merlin continued his story.

"After we killed the griffin." He muttered petulantly with a sullen glare at his knight, only continuing after a couple more seconds of glaring after Lancelot just beamed his beautiful grin at him. Gwaine just laughed at the exchange, his carefree laugh that finally made Merlin smile back. " Before he was banished we slept together, it was never meant to be anything more than one night but, after he was banished I missed him horribly. I tracked him down and he felt the same. We courted for a year than we got bonded. That was 5 years ago." 

Gwaine and Percival raised an eyebrow at the fact that they were bonded before nodding in understanding, the only ones in the group knowing what it meant to be bonded. 

"What do you mean you are bonded?" Leon asked, having heard something about bonding when he was with the druids.

"How did you help Lancelot with the griffin?" Arthur talked at the same time as Leon, both looking expectantly at Merlin.

"Bonded means that we are married in the eyes of the Old Religion, it means that I put a piece of my soul and consequently my magic into Lancelot which means that, today when he got hurt, I felt it like I was the one getting stabbed. I can also feel his emotions in the back of my mind. It goes both ways too. The only way out of a bond like the one we have is death." Merlin started factually, ignoring the visceral reactions of Arthur, Elyan, and Leon at the fact that he had bonded himself so thoroughly to another person. "And, with the griffin, I enchanted his lance so that it would actually hurt the thing. With just the lance he would have probably died. I also didn't really have much room to be subtle so, after killing the thing, he confronted me about my magic. He asked lots of questions and then decided that he would keep my secret."

"He's known about your magic all this time?" Arthur demanded, not able to keep all of the hurt out of his voice and instantly softening any indignation Merlin might have had.

"He was never meant to know, I've never told anybody about my magic." The warlock said, trying to comfort his hurt friend and smiling gratefully when Lancelot automatically rubbed a hand up and down his back at the sight of his slight distress. 

"What do you mean you never told anyone? And why do you look so unfazed with this Gwaine?" The persistent king interrogated. 

Tilting his head to Gwaine slightly he asked a silent question, getting a nod in response so he continued on. 

"Everyone that's ever found out was either my mother or by accident..." Merlin started strongly, hesitation barely noticeable to anyone but Lancelot as he continued. "And Gwaine was one of those accidents, he saw me doing magic and asked me about it so I answered all his questions as well." 

Arthur just looked betrayed before he looked at the rest of the knights and saw them looking at Gwaine curiously. There wasn't anything negative in their eyes, just curious. The king thought for a long moment before just taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment. 

"Will you answer our questions, Merlin?" Percival asked, his curiosity overriding anything negative he may have been feeling. 

"Of course I will, I was always going to tell you eventually but now's as good a time as any." 

Lancelot was just a silent comfort to the warlock, keeping a possessive hand around his waist and calmly supporting him through the storm with the worldless promise to be there when it ended. Merlin appreciatively nuzzled his husband's neck before taking a deep breath, ready to weather the volley of their questions. 

"When you disappeared for a couple of days when you came back I yelled at you for not doing your job to go to the tavern and you said that you were dying... You were telling the truth, weren’t you?" Arthur said, pain and determination fighting for control in his eyes.

Merlin winced at the reminder but ultimately nodded and started to answer the question.

"Morgana had sent a boy, Daegal, no more than 15 summers old, to me. He claimed to be a druid, even had the mark of their people, and that he needed help. He told me his sister was dying and he needed me to save her. I went with him and Morgana ended up poisoning me. He had a change of heart and, just before my magic was getting ready to tear me apart to get the poison out of our body he got me the antidote. I was weak so it took a couple says to get back even with his help." The knights were enthralled with his story but Elyan jumped on the chance to ask more questions. 

"What happened to Daegal?" The black knight asked, wincing at the dark look that crossed Merlin's face.

"He was killed, later that week from an arrow meant for Arthur." 

Nobody said anything, a moment of silence for a boy they never knew mattered to their friends before they started with their questions again.

"What really happened with the Great Dragon?" Leon asked, surprising a chuckle out of Lancelot and Merlin.

"His name is Kilgharrah, for starters.-"

"Merlin, no" Leon said, already having an idea of where this was going but even he couldn't have predicted the whole story. 

"Merlin, yes. When you guys all got knocked out I commanded him to stop and never come back to Camelot unless I called for him." The warlock in question started sheepishly before an authoritative tone took its place. 

"Please tell me you didn't let out the damn dragon! How did you talk to the thing anyways?" Arthur asked irately, Gwaine just chuckling in the background because Merlin had already told him the story. 

"I made a deal with him for information to save your life, he just wanted to be let out of that damn cave and I certainly didn't blame him!" Merlin defended, leaning more into Lancelot subconsciously at the reminder of how his kin had been disrespected. 

"Cave?" Arthur pressed, confused.

"Your father locked him up like a common criminal in a cave underneath the castle," Merlin started, scoffing in derision, thankful that the king didn't give more than a token protest over the slight against his father as he kept going. "And I turned out to be a Dragon Lord, even though I didn't know about it until the literal day before everything happened." 

"But a Dragon Lord doesn't get their powers until the father d-" Arthur started, getting surprised looks from several of the knights, before absolute horror crossed his features and he dropped his head into his hands. "I told you not to cry... I told you...." 

Taking a steadying breath the king got up and kneeled in front of Merlin, hugging him to his chest and stroking his hair the way he did that time the servant broke down in front of him. They just stayed there for a little while, not moving except for Arthur's petting and Merlin's breathing. When they finally went backed up, Arthur sat next to Merlin and grabbed his hand, Lancelot taking the other one as the warlock answered the questioning looks from everyone but Lancelot. He hadn't told Gwaine this part of his story.

"A Dragon Lord is basically half dragon, we get most of the perks of being a dragon, including the ability to use magic when our powers activate. The powers are in your lineage, the first son of the generation gets the gift when their father passes.... I didn't know my father my whole life, my mom refused to talk about him beyond telling me that he was amazing and their time together was a dream come true. But, when Arthur was commanded by his father to find the last Dragon Lord left to control Kilgharrah, Gaius told me his name." Merlin took a deep breath, knowing this would probably be one of the more painful parts of his story, "His name was Balinor. We found him, I met him and we had so much in common." 

Merlin stared into the fire for a moment, lost in thought before Lancelot gently squeezed his hand to remind him what he was doing. 

"He died to save me because I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have. We were fighting together and, since Arthur was on the other side of the clearing and not paying attention to either of us we both used our magic... I've never felt anything like how it feels to share magic from someone you trust since then but he ended up dying. He told me in his last moments that I would gain his gift and that the only thing I had to do to talk to dragons was remember that we are kin, brothers. That we are one.... It's as easy as breathing." 

"You had magic before you got the Dragon Lord powers?" Percival asked, slightly confused but mostly just sympathetic, knowing what it's like to lose someone that could have been more than they were to you. 

"Please," Merlin scoffed, taking his hand out of Arthur's after rubbing his thumb against the back of his king's to wipe away the tears that had started falling. "I was levitating things and controlling the weather before I could even talk." 

"Emrys!" The gentle giant said in shock, Merlin just smiling sadly at him because he knew the place druids had had in his life.

"Yes, the druids call me Emrys."

Elyan and Gwaine were in shock and Arthur just looked annoyed at not knowing the importance of the druids giving someone a name. Elyan and Gwaine had spent time with druids just as much as Percival, they knew the relevance and looked to only have a million more questions. 

"There is a prophecy about me that calls me the protector of the Once and Future King, Arthur." Merlin said with an exaggeratedly smug smirk in said king's direction. 

The knights just laughed but the king looked contemplative.

"People can be born with magic?" He looked almost desperate to believe that it was true but, the looking in his eyes said he already understood.

"I'm sorry." Merlin said, knowing that he was confirming that his father hadn't known and yet still killed children.

After that everyone was lost in their own thoughts, the servant absentmindedly rubbing his wrists alerting Lancelot to his thoughts. The knight just kissed his forehead and took his wrists from him, rubbing gently and accidently showing the knights a sliver of the scarred. They all paused in shock. 

"Take off your shirt." Arthur said, breaking hs knights out of their horrified revelation.

Lancelot instinctively pulled Merlin to him, understanding what had happened a split second before the warlock did. 

"That's... not necessary." The servant said slowly, instantly stopping his hands from where they had been ribbing at his wrists in remembrance. 

"You keep rubbing your wrists and chest. I also just realized that I've never seen you in anything less than full sleeves and a jacket even if you take off your neckerchief and that you've gone very far out of your way to avoid showing any skin." The king said in a rare moment of perception, the set of his face telling Merlin he wasn't going to back down and the look on the warlock's face telling the knights on the other side of the fire that they hadn't been wrong about what they thought they were seeing. 

Merlin just sighed and untied his neckerchief, his jacket coming off next quickly followed by his shirt. He looked away, hearing the gasps of shock but not wanting to see the appalled faces.

His chest was a patchwork of scars; a giant burned circle from Nimueh, a pattern of netting from when Morgana got him stung by the Serket, claw marks, his wrists scarred from everytime he was captured and chained. His back was worse, the serket sting, whip marks, claw marks. His whole torso and back had some normal scars too though, knives and arrows and swords. 

For the second time that night Arthur kneed down in front of the scarred warlock, not blocking him from the others and just waited until his friend made eye contact.

"Will you tell us about it?" 

So he did, between the comforting heat of both his king and his bonded he told his closest friends about everything he had gone through. He didn't leave anything out, from his adventures with Will when he was young to his encounter with Freya and everything in between. 

They didn't say anything, just sat quietly and listened in admiration of the amazing, strong, talented man they had become friends with. Learned about his hardships through the marks on his skin and even the ones that they couldn't see.

He wasn't okay but, with time and the support of his dearest friends that had somehow became his family without him even noticing, he would be eventually.

Elyan with his humor and down to earth understanding.

Percival with his strong exterior and kind, gentle personality.

Gwaine with his absurd randomness and smile that just made you want to laugh with him.

Arthur with his growing patience and compassionate heart.

Leon with his chivalry and adorable naivety that came out at the most funny moments. 

And his husband, who had been there for him through thick and thin, who hadn't cared that he was committing treason just by being alive and stuck with him through murder and betrayal and losing himself. A steady presence that he would have lost his mind without. 

They had all become his family and he couldn't have asked for a better one. He would be okay.

* * *

_I really can't think of anything that I could add to this.... I really love how this turned out! Kudos, comments, constructive criticism, and prompts/pairings you would like to see from me are always welcome! -Rose_

**Author's Note:**

> The spell - Heal him of this wound, heal my love with Earth and magic as one. We are one in healing. Please heal my love.


End file.
